EFFECT OF SOME MEDICINAL HERBS VERSUS NITAZOXANIDE ON CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM INFECTED IMMUNOSUPPRESSED MICE

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt

Abstract

Generally cryptosporidiosis is endemic more or less worldwide and is one of the commonest
causes of persistent diarrhea among children, especially immunosuppressed ones. The study evaluated
the potential therapeutic effects of some natural herbal agents versus Nitazoxanide® in
treating Cryptosporidium parvum.
A total of sixty Albino mice were immunosuppressed and then infected with C. parvum oocysts
dna were divided into 6 groups. Three infected groups were treated with Asafoetida, Curcumin,
and Artemisia annua, compared to Nitazoxanide treated, negative, and positive controls.
Assessment of treatment was microscopy by counting oocytes stool, histopathology of ileocaecal
region dnaplasma clearance of alpha 1 anti-trypsin by ELISA.
Results showed that Asafoetida, artemisinin, and curcumin eliminated infection in 50, 55, &
55% of treated mice respectively. Nitazoxanide remained gold standard (80%) successive rate.

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